Hail to the Chief

By: John Leslie, Carey Winfrey

Narrated by: David Wood

Length: 7 hrs and 34 mins

Publisher's summary

A political thrill ride as current as today's headlines. President-elect Maggie Mathews - the first woman voted into the nation's highest office - is felled by a ruptured brain aneurysm just 10 days before her inauguration. While she lies in a coma, her vice president-elect attempts to conceal his past, and with help from chief of staff Bruce "Skeeter" Jamison, he gambles he can keep his dark secret from coming to light. But Maggie's husband, the former secretary of state who schemes to seize the reins of power for himself, has other ideas.

©2016 John Leslie/Carey Winfrey (P)2016 John Leslie/Carey Winfrey

Presidential Succession Act in Action

If you could sum up Hail to the Chief in three words, what would they be?

Presidential Succession Act. Going back to 1792, there has always been provision in case of the death or an incapacitated President. The most recent revision was the Presidential Succession Act of 1947, signed by President Harry Truman, changed the order again to what it is today. Placed in a well thought out work of fiction. It works!

Who was your favorite character and why?

Chief of staff Bruce "Skeeter" Jamison. He is the main protagonist. All of the action revolves around him.

Have you listened to any of David Wood’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Yes, this is the second audio book from David that I've heard. Competent, professional, easy to hear, enjoyable to listen to.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I was entertained. This illustrates the protection built into the Constitution for just the sort of contingency of a President dying or otherwise unable to conduct his duties. It entertained and for me, illustrated how the plan might actually work in realistic situations.

Any additional comments?

I wasn't sure what to expect when I started listening to "Hail to the Chief". Usually "political thriller" means a rant from one faction's view point or the other Avoid that type of Political Thriller. But not the case here! So, I was pleasantly surprised. There are many actual events in the narrative.The story takes place in the near future, post Trump's term. That "what if" aspect is optimistic that our government starts working again and that the rest of the world works to fix problems.

Speculative fiction!! ? Hopefully not! lol

My suggestion is "Give it a try"! Very well done, no leanings in either direction.

This was a very well done audio book project. Writing, and narration are very well done.

Thanks for the opportunity to review it!

A review copy was gifted to me at no charge by the narrator. In return, I am happy to provide an honest review. Also at no charge.

Thanks, Mr. Wood!

timely, excellently crafted fiction!

I loved this book. i tend to undervalue fiction, but this was an interesting exception, especially given its almost prescient relevance to our recent election. it is excellently crafted fiction that uses a lot of historically significant details to really wrap the book together nicely. I particularly loved the attention to detail on rules of presidential succession, Congress' role, etc, etc. although fiction, history buffs will find this accurate and interesting, yet those who aren't history buffs will not be bored with unnecessary, irrelevant details, as these are scenarios that actually could happen in any election. the author strikes a great balance here. the voice over work was excellent and makes the story come alive; it's well paired with the story and supporting details. highly recommended!

Great Narration and Story. Loved it!!

What made the experience of listening to Hail to the Chief the most enjoyable?

The story and narration was amazing. Loved it till the end.

What does David Wood bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

A strong, powerful performance.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes!

Any additional comments?

"This review copy audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost."

lovers this book

it's kind of sad to think that are elected officials are this way. but I think they are a lot worse it is a very good book the. narrator is great
I received this book from the publisher, author and or narrator for a honest review and unbiased options via audio book boom dot com

HAIL TO THE AUDIOBOOK

What made the experience of listening to Hail to the Chief the most enjoyable?

Great writing. The story keeps you moving forward with twists and turns. I love the newspaper columns to help move the narrative forward.

What other book might you compare Hail to the Chief to and why?

This book is a cross between Vince Flynn and an early Jerry Bruckheimer political thriller.

What about David Wood’s performance did you like?

David did a really nice job with pacing, with character voices and with his overall acting through the entire book. There are some audiobooks where you know within 30 seconds the narrative style isn't for you. Not the case with David's performance. He keeps you engaged and moving forward. You feel like you're there in the room with these characters.

Somewhat interesting

"Hail to the Chief" (2016) by John Leslie and Carey Winfrey is a somewhat interesting novel about machinations taking place in Washington, D.C. Political fixer Bruce "Skeeter" Jamison rides the coattails of the first female elected president of the United States. Unfortunately, she is incapacitated by a brain aneurysm ten days before the inauguration, so it becomes Skeeter’s job to prop up the vice-president-elect—a man with a secret in his past—so the VP can assume the presidency. The supporting characters are more interesting than the main character. Mildly recommended. Book given free in exchange for honest review.

Hail to the Chief

Hail To The Chief
: John Leslie, Carey Winfrey


This fast paced political thriller takes the listener deep inside the workings of a campaign ..............and on to transition of office. It kept me spellbound waiting for the next catastrophe that Skeeter would need to spin to their favor. This book had shadows of recent political happenings.


The narration was well done.The characters were well portrayed. David Wood's voice matched well with the story.



"I was voluntarily provided this review copy audiobook at no charge by the author, publisher and/or narrator."

Didn’t anyone proof this?

David Wood did a great job narrating this interesting story. But there are so many mouth noises that I was tempted to stop listening. Also, part 1 ends with a repeat of several sentences.

Great political story

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

Yes. It's a story that I didn't want to stop listening to. If it were 20hours long somehow, I would have kept listening in rapt attention.

If you’ve listened to books by John Leslie and Carey Winfrey before, how does this one compare?

N/A

What aspect of David Wood’s performance would you have changed?

He made the vise president sound a little too weisely

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

With some adaptations, I feel that this movie could be on the big screen. I would see it yes.

Any additional comments?

I received this book free from audiobookboom.com in exchange for an unbiased review.